What if the continuation of the Christian faith depended on you?  I’ve been pondering this question lately.  I’m sure you’ve heard the old version – “If you were in court, accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?”  I’m pretty sure, for me, the verdict would be guilty.  There would be plenty of evidence to convict me of being a Christian.

But what if the future, the continuation, of the Christian faith depended on me?  I’m less sure about that.  Think about it.  The early disciples of Jesus built the church from scratch.  They were followers of a man that they said had risen from the dead.  Yeah, right.  And that man had been executed as a criminal.  Because of the disciples faith, and their constant witness, they built a church and changed the world.

If the continuation of the Christian faith depended on me, would it even survive my lifetime?  Have I brought anyone to faith in Jesus Christ?  Have I strengthened anyone’s belief in Christ to the point that they are an effective witness to others?  Has my influence strengthened the faith or hurt it?

I have to admit that I have not come out very well in my thinking about this issue.  In the last year I’ve had very few conversations with others about faith.  Tom and I have only been inside a church building once in the last year, and that was for a wedding.  I haven’t been volunteering or interacting with others, aside from my family bubble, for a long time.  If the future of the faith depended on me for the last year, it would be in pretty bad shape.

I have all kinds of excuses.  I’m an introvert.  I’m retired.  There’s a pandemic.  But I have a feeling that excuses aren’t pleasing to God.

I’m not sure how I will be changing this, but I am thinking about it.  I need to do better, to be a better witness to a Savior who means everything to me.  I don’t want to hoard Jesus Christ or keep him to myself.  May the Holy Spirit give me power and strength to witness to my faith in ways that make a difference.

How about you?  If the continuation of the Christian faith depended on you, would it survive?

Matthew 28:19-20  “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”